This invention relates to an apparatus for releasably mounting a cylindrical oxygen canister for rapid deployment and use.
There are many examples, one of which is an emergency response vehicle, where it is desirable to have a cylindrical gas canister, such as an oxygen or fire retardant canister, mounted so as to be out of the way, and whereso mounted ready for rapid deployment and use. Other examples may include medical emergency rooms, or other static or mobile facilities whether medical or otherwise.
In the emergency vehicle example, such vehicles are often required to transport canisters containing pressurized gaseous substances such as air, oxygen or fire suppressant materials. Such canisters generally have at one end of the canister end fittings such as valves and pressure regulators or the like which can become damaged. These types of canisters may be generally cylindrically shaped and if left free standing may be relatively easily knocked over. When such canisters are transported by emergency vehicles a suitable means of restraint is needed to secure the canisters within the vehicle in a manner which permits rapid release of the canister for use. It is also preferable to provide for ease of carrying by emergency personnel and for stable deployment of the canister at the destination.
In the prior art applicant is aware of U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,029 which discloses a frame mountable within an emergency vehicle. The frame has two pairs of spaced apart xe2x80x98clam shellxe2x80x99 clamps, operable by a lever, and designed to engage a back-pack style of air tank such as is normally worn by fire-fighters while seated within an emergency vehicle. Placement of the cylinder within the device is cumbersome; and the device does not permit emergency personnel to easily carry the cylinder to the point of use, nor does it provide a means of stable deployment for the cylinder on the ground at the point of use.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a latching means for releasable mounting of cylindrical canisters which allows ease of insertion, automatic locking and a one hand operated quick release mechanism.
Further, without intending to be limiting, an additional object of this invention is to provide a retaining assembly which can be readily secured to a canister, which will facilitate rapid mating engagement of the canister with the quick release mechanism and which may provide both a carrying and supporting apparatus for the canister.
As used herein, reference to canister is intended to include reference to tank, cylinder or like references to containers for pressurized gas.
The quick release of the quick release supporting apparatus of the present invention may include both a bracket and a latch. The latch may have a latch pawl mounted intermediate the ends of a spindle so as to be rotatably nested within a latch receiving arm of the bracket. A manually operable lever arm may be provided to rotate the latch pawl into an open position. The lever arm may be operable by depressing a button mounted to the arm or by pulling a handle mounted to the arm or by other biasing devices for rotating the lever arm or for operating the latch pawl. A cover may be mounted over the bracket and latch mechanism. Spaced apart aligned apertures in the cover permit the supporting arm and latch receiving arm to protrude through.
A canister retaining frame may have upper and lower annular collars or clamps for receiving therein a gas canister. The collars may each have a protrusion, for example opposite the latch when the retaining frame is mounted therein, for supporting a longitudinal tubular handle therebetween. Outwardly extending arms on each collar, which may be oppositely disposed relative to the protrusions, form a pair of forks or yokes. A pin is mounted across each fork or yoke. In one embodiment where the collars provide for clamping of the canister, the pin in each yoke is fixed in one arm of the yoke, and is slidably journalled through the other arm. An over-center cam faced lever is mounted to the outer end of the pin. The arms of the yoke allow tightening of the collar around the canister by the clamping action of the cam lever. The upper and lower annular collars are spaced apart along the canister so as to better support the canister and to allow the corresponding upper and lower pins to engage and mate with the latch receiving arm and a support arm, respectively, formed on opposite ends of the bracket.
A transverse handle and regulator guard frame combination, collectively referred to herein as a regulator guard, may be mounted to the upper end of the oxygen canister retaining frame. The guard is a rigid frame protecting the regulator and providing for ease of grasping and manipulating the end of the canister when in the retaining frame. By way of example, the guard frame may be of tubular material and may be rectangular or may be curved so as to loop around the circular circumferential profile of the canister.
Supporting legs, which automatically deploy when an end of the canister retaining frame is placed in contact with a firm surface, may be pivotally mounted on the canister retaining frame, for example between the upper and lower collars. Placing the retaining frame on the firm surface drives linkage arms upwardly. The linkage arms are rotatably mounted to the supporting legs so as to pivot the supporting legs outwardly of the retaining frame as the linkage arms are translated upwardly relative to the retaining frame.
In summary, the quick release canister supporting apparatus of the present invention includes a mounting bracket mountable to a rigid support, a rigid, canister retaining frame releasably mountable into mating engagement with the mounting bracket, and at least one latch cooperating between the mounting bracket and the retaining frame for the releasable mounting into mating engagement of the retaining frame with the mounting bracket. The latch may be mounted to the mounting bracket or to the retaining frame. A manually operable release actuator cooperates with the latch for selective actuation of the latch to release the retaining frame from the mounting bracket. The retaining frame defines a rigid cavity having an opening for receiving a gas canister substantially completely into the cavity. The retaining frame includes at least one selectively releasable canister rotation restraint for inhibiting rotation and sliding of the canister about and along its longitudinal axis. At least one selectively releasable canister ejection restraint may also be provided for inhibiting sliding ejection of the canister from the cavity.
A portion of the retaining frame, which may be oriented generally opposite the mounting bracket when the retaining frame is mounted to the mounting bracket, provides a carry handle for carrying of the retaining frame by a user when the canister is mounted in the cavity and the retaining frame is dismounted from the mounting bracket. A rigid regulator guard is mounted to the retaining frame at a first end of the retaining frame corresponding to the opening to the cavity. The guard extends over the opening so as to protect a gas flow regulator mounted on the canister.
In one embodiment, the latch is mounted to the mounting bracket and is a single upper latch disposed substantially vertically above a support arm extending from the bracket, where the support arm is adapted to releasably engage and support a lower end of the frame. An upper end of the retaining frame is adapted to releasably engage the latch.
The frame may include first and second collars, mounted in or to or forming part of the retaining frame. The collars are parallel and spaced apart. Corresponding first and second apertures defined by the collars are co-axial along a longitudinal axis of the canister when mounted journalled in the collars. Rigid, parallel first and second cross-members may be mounted to the first and second collars respectively. The first and second cross members are for releasable mating with the latch and the supporting arm respectively.
The latch may be mounted to the mounting bracket so as to protrude cantilevered therefrom. Thus, where the mounting bracket mounts to a rear surface of a rigid support such as a wall or mounting plate, and the rigid support is apertured so that the latch may extend through corresponding apertures in the wall to protrude from the opposite front surface of the wall, the front surface of the wall is adapted for releasable latched mating with the rigid frame.
The mounting plate may be an angled wall mount adapted for mounting to the wall. The mounting bracket may then be mounted to the wall mount along a surface of the wall mount inclined relative to the wall so as to incline the retaining frame towards and along the wall when the retaining frame is mounted to the mounting bracket.
A resilient compression fit auxiliary latch may be provided cooperating with the latch so as to provide a safety backup latch for controlled release of the retaining frame from mounting to the mounting bracket.